MEMPHIS, Tenn — Employees at a dentist’s office in East Memphis helped police capture video of a pair of car thieves who stole a vehicle from their parking lot early Thursday morning.
Mallery Fullman said she pulled out her cell phone when a co-worker spotted someone breaking into an SUV in the 5100 block of Park Avenue.
She said they watched the car burglars leave and were shocked when they returned minutes later and took the vehicle. Fullman said it happened while they were on the phone with police.
“We called the non-emergency number before they came back and took the car. We just thought it was a break-in,” said Fullman.” When they came back, we were like, ‘Oh my gosh, they are in the car right now,’ and she was like, ‘We’ll send someone out,’ but by the time they got there, they were gone.”
Fullman said the car thieves arrived in a white car with a busted-out window and broke into another vehicle through the sunroof.
“We were just thinking they got in and took the stuff and left, and then we saw them come back with, I guess, some wires or something to steal the car,” she said.
Fullman said the stolen car belonged to a patient visiting another office in their building. She said the white car the suspects arrived in was likely stolen.
“Another girl I work with, this would be her third car break-in she’s seen while at work,” Fullman said. “She has seen two across the street at the Fresh Market.”
According to the latest numbers from the Memphis Data Hub, there have been 10,303 car break-ins in the Memphis area this year and 13,709 auto thefts. That compares to 9,228 car burglaries and 9,170 car thefts in 2022.
“It’s gotten pretty bad. We need to do better,” said Fullman.
If you recognize the suspects or have seen the vehicle in the video, call CrimeStoppers at (901) 528-CASH.